


Drinks and Decisions

by Dorktapus42



Series: Come Together-verse [15]
Category: Youtube (RPF)
Genre: Chase is healing, Mostly just interacting and stuff, Other, You're doing amazing sweetie, angst angst angst, but not too much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-08 07:30:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17977001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dorktapus42/pseuds/Dorktapus42
Summary: Chase has a couple of habits. Some bad, some good. He tends to be awake most nights, sitting at the bar downstairs. Sometimes people join him.Doesn't Host still have a secret to share?





	Drinks and Decisions

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted this to lead to Chase angst but.... it got too angsty. And for me that's saying something. So here it is, lead ups to Chase angst removed! Because he just needs a break for once in his life, ya know?

 

Chase poured himself a glass of apple juice and sat down at the bar, turning the worn picture in his hands. It was creased and torn to hell and back, but he could still see the smiling faces of his children. And the ragged hole from when he’d torn out Stacey a few months ago. 

He took a sip of the juice. Damn, he wished this had been whiskey. But Anti’d taken it all away, and besides, he’d promised. And he’d stayed clean for two months. It was progress, if slow. 

There was the thunk of a can on the counter as the stool next to him was pulled out. He raised a brow. Mountain Dew? He only knew one person who’d even touch the stuff. When there wasn’t Diet Coke around of course. Or maybe he actually liked Mountain Dew?

“Hey Mad.”

“Chase.”

The tab was popped on the can. He took a swig of his juice. 

“Why are you down here in the middle of the night?” And in Ego Inc. in the first place?

“I figured there might be company. And I couldn’t sleep. You?”

“Memories.”

“I can relate.” A slurp from the can. 

There was a comfortable silence at that. 

“You wanna talk about it? Pretend we’re both drunk off our asses and are spilling everything?” Might as well speed the process along.

“Maybe. You wanna go first?”

He took a larger sip. “Sure. My wife left me and took the kids. What else is there to say? It’s been a little over two years. I haven’t seen them since.” 

“I’m- that sucks man. I’m sorry.”

“I’ve gotten used to it for most of the time. Taking care of these guys helps. You?” 

“Killed my girlfriend in an experiment and went insane.”

“...dude. That was blunter than I imagined.” They all knew the story after what had happened in the hotel but… damn.

“Yeah. Not exactly great to dance around.” 

“How you holding up?”

“It’s lonely, most of the time. Keeping busy helps though. You normally sit up half the night with apple juice?”

“Three nights out of the week? Sure. I like the quiet. And there’s usually someone who joins me for one reason or another.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. We’re all messed up.”

There was silence. 

Then someone else took a seat next to them, holding a glass of milk. Jim. One of them anyway. 

“Hey CJ.” CJ? Oh, Camera Jim. 

“Hey.” 

They drank in silence. 

“House nightmares again?”

“Yeah.”

“Any of your brothers affected?”

“Not tonight. Hey Mad.”

It was… weird seeing a Jim so subdued. “Hey.”

Silence. They worked on their drinks in a comfortable silence.

“You feeling better now that you’re more awake Jim?”

“A bit, yeah. Thanks.”

He stood, put the glass in the sink, and walked away. 

“He usually doesn’t stick around long. Now Reporter Jim? He’ll fall asleep at the bar.”

“Hmm.” He didn’t feel all that tired. 

“The Host greets Mad and Chase as he sits down to keep them company.”

“Would you like a leech in these trying times?” Chase drawled. 

“The Host would prefer some coffee, if one is up to making it.”

Chase nodded. “I can do that.” 

A few minutes later a steaming cup of decaf coffee was under Host’s nose. 

“So what’s up tonight? Visions, memories, nightmares...”

“Memories. Chase seems rather energetic tonight.”

“Yeah. I’ve stayed busy. You wanna talk about it or no?”

“The Host respectfully denies the offer.”

“Okay. I’m open to hearing it if you want to talk about it one of these days.”

Silence. Mad finished off his can of Mountain Dew. He hadn’t thought of bringing along another…

A glass of water was placed under his nose and he sipped it, grateful for something to do. 

“The Host may address it another day. He… he has been chewing on it for a large quantity of time.”

Chase nodded. “That’s alright. Whenever you’re ready.”

Mad wasn’t sure whether he should still be here. He drained the rest of the glass. “Well, I guess I’ll see you guys around.”

“See ya Mad.”

 

\--------

 

Chase and Host sat back at the bar. 

“Mind if I ask you a few questions? You don’t have to answer them if you don’t want to.” He had to help somehow.

“The Host agrees.”

“Was it with how you appeared? Covered in blood and barely on your feet? No bandages over your eyesockets or anything?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Can I keep going?”

“Yes.”

He paused. “Alright. Was it with how the Author disappeared? Wait, better question. Does this have to do with the Author?”

“...Yes.” Host looked slightly uncomfortable. 

“I can stop. You look uncomfortable.” 

“The Host is… the Host is fine.” He wasn’t, that much he could see.

“Host, I’m not going to push you if you don’t want to talk about it.”

There was a pause. A single line of blood dripped down Host’s cheek. “The Author and Darkiplier were friends, were they not?”

He tried to remember. “Well, kind of. They were definitely coworkers, but I don’t know if I could call them friends. They had a falling out.”

“Oh.” Host looked down at his cup of coffee, as if absorbing himself with the sense of it would make him feel better. “Sea air and warmth.”

“Pardon?”

“You. You are sea air and warmth. Free and wild and comforting.”

He wasn’t sure to think about this. “And what about the others? Like Anti?”

Host tilted his head to the side. “Anti is… lemon and tingling. Like raindrops. When he stands close, you feel the buzzing of static? He is lemon and static feeling.”

That was… less eloquent than he expected from Host. He must be tired. “So that’s how you know who’s in the room?”

“Yes. Darkiplier is gunpowder and quartz. Bing is aluminum and oranges. Marvin is the feeling of thumbing through playing cards and the smell after it rains.”

“That’s poetic.”

“The Host supposes so.”

“You should write this stuff down.” Put something good into the world.

“Perhaps.”

“What about the others?”

“King is the feeling of fur and the smell of rain. The Googles are aluminum and either paper, basil, bell pepper, or grass. Wilford is sugar with a sour tinge- like a candy apple. Phantom is cloves and gold. Wire is aluminum and copper.-”

He listened as Host rambled on, the voice slowly making his eyes heavy. Host noticed. 

“-and Chase closes his eyes to sleep.”

 

His head hit his arms and he fell asleep on the counter. Host gently scooted back his chair and walked back upstairs to his room to do the same with a contemplative look on his face. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Next up: Host telling the Egos. Or, well, him confirming an educated guess. It's been coming for a while. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed, and have a good one!


End file.
